Political scientist: Consultant and expert

Statement in Deutsche Welle about right-wing extremism in Europe

Florian Hartleb said that middle-class citizens in prosperous countries are afraid of losing their status. Hartleb attributed the trend to what he called “prosperity jingoism,” and said that’s the reason mostly middle-class people tend to vote right. But Hartleb also indicated that despite the shooting rampage of right-wing extremist Anders Breivik last summer, the scene has not necessarily grown more violent there. Hartleb sets the responsibility for dealing with this issue firmly on the European Union. Politics consists of not just management, but also vision, according to Hartleb – the EU needs to be looking to the future. A view into 2020, for example, “could bring optimism and break down fears,” Hartleb concluded.